Product DescriptionSince the first covered bridge in America was built across the Schuykill River in Philadelphia in 1805, Pennsylvania has been the testing ground for some of the world's most unusual and interesting bridges. Shank delves into the lives and works of Burr, Wernwag, Town, Howe, Ellet, Roebling and Modjeski and others who revolutionized bridge-building of the past 5000 years. With 2-color photos and drawings, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in all bridges...covered to suspension...old or new. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Historians and bridge-lovers will enjoy this book.
As an amateur historian, and fan of covered bridges, I found this book fascinating. There are at least 2 (and usually 3) old photos on each page. How fascinating it was to see bridges that I've driven across or seen on my travels around PA as they appeared 100 years ago. It's especially cool to see a covered bridge once stood where a steel bridge stands today. Included is a review of railroad and canal bridges.
... Read more

Product DescriptionFrom the time of the "Great Pumpkin Flood of 1786" to the Agnes Floods of 1972, Shank shows, both editorially and pictorially, the causes and effects of Pennsylvania floods. Geographical history, detailed flood data and a comprehensive water map are included. This two-color book offers 93 superb illustrations, 88 pages of human interest stories and a definitive guide to major floods in Pennsylvania history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Pennsylvania floods
The Commonwealth is certainly no stranger to flooding and the disasters connected with it, and this book may be well known in the area.This book lists various ,different, floods and goes into the facts of them from the 1800's and 1900's, not all floods are included, but you get a general picture of the flood history of this great state and the resiliance of it's people, and near the end of the book, steps that have been taken over the years to deal with these events in the future as to prevent future disasters,it's an easy read with lots of pictures from earlier flood events.
... Read more

Product DescriptionThis scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

A wonderful introduction to Mid-East archaeology
I read the magazine "Biblical Archaeology" frequently and therefore thought I knew a bit about Middle Eastern archaeology--until I read this book.It is packed with facts and debates by the most prominent archaelogists in the field. The amazing thing (to me, an historian by training) is that there is fundamental agreement on the facts. All agree, for example that the Merneptah Stele (a tablet dated at 1212 BCE) exists, that it is Egyptian in origin, and that the Egyptian pharaoh (then the most powerful man in the world) considered the conquest of the land and people Israel the most important feat of his reign. The tablet says as much. But why was defeating Israel so important? A lively debate rages.

Likewise all agree that a people called Hyksos came into Egypt and eventually became its rulers starting about 1800 BCE. Yet Hyksos is a Greek term and there is precious little consensus about who these people were. (Aside from the fact that they were Canaanites of some sort.)

All agree that there are stones bearing characters that can be read if one is fluent in Hebrew in what was called Raddana once (but is today called Ramallah) but a debate rages about whether these are signs of a "widespread" Israeli literacy or of a "privileged" class. All agree that Israeli pottery, houses, and artifacts are different from the general Canaanite ones and that ancient Israelites were very active traders because their artifacts have been found all over the Middle East and beyond. Yet there is an interesting debate about just what was it that made the Israelites different from Egyptians and other Canaanites.

There too is a very active debate about whether Egyptian style houses made their way to ancient Israel or the other way around. And that's just scratching the surface.

In short, if you want to know a bit about ancient Israel and Middle East and about the archaelogical debates about both, this is the perfect book to start you on an endlessly exciting road!
... Read more

Product DescriptionPennsylvania's unusual topography and location at the hub of the original 13 colonies make the state's transportation history unique. This comprehensive, 156-page book with four-color cover employs delightful, often humorous, perceptions of the problems which beset Pennsylvania pioneers. It also details an amazing assortment of vehicles and unusual means of crossing steams and mountains, perhaps unequalled in any other state. Numerous photos and drawings, some by the author's artist son Will Shank, illustrate the state's engineering "firsts," including the first wooden bridge, tunnel, wire cable, coal railroad and hard-surfce intercity highway. ... Read more

Product DescriptionThe Main Line, Pennsylvania's answer to the Erie Canal, was a remarkable system of canals, railroads and inclined planes connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Late engineer-artist Philip Hoffman made a brilliant series of drawings which depict every facet of life on the route. 80-page, full-color paperback with Hoffman biography. ... Read more

Nice concise history of the PA Turnpike
This is a nice concise history of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.It focuses mainly on the competition between the railroads which led the Vanderbilts to select a route for a new railroad across southern Pennsylvania and partially complete several tunnels before abandoning the project.That route and some of the tunnels were used for the turnpike fifty years later.There are many photographs in the book, including photos of the tunnels as they looked in 1937 after having lain dormant for all those years.There are also a few photos of the turnpike as it looked in its early days.
... Read more

Product DescriptionSince he first published this book in 1960, Mr. Shank has become one of the leading authorities on historic canals in the Northeastern United States. The author has included a statewide canal map, 125 historic photos, drawings by the late Philip Hoffman, a four-color cover and tables of lock and mileage data. As founder of the Pennsylvania Canal Society and past president of the American Canal Society, the author offers this definitive work on Pennsylvania canals with the help of canal buffs throughout the Keystone state. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Too Bad they are All Gone
The details and illustrations regarding the Pennsylvania Canal system is most interesting, especially if you can be in Pennsylvania and visit some of the sites.Much evidence of the canals remains and adds to the aura of the time in the past when these canals were opening the western horizons to the movement of people and goods.The wonderful era of the canals was far too short lived.England still has many of their canals and I have friends that have traversed them in the narrow boats.They have exclaimed how much fun it is to be in control of the journey completely, including working the locks.

William Miller
Book was in new condition. I am very pleased with the book itself as well. Delivery was prompt.
... Read more

Product DescriptionHigh Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! William Shanks (January 25, 1812 - June 1882, Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, England ) was a British amateur mathematician. Shanks is famous for his calculation of π to 707 places, accomplished in 1873, which, however, was only correct up to the first 527 places. This error was highlighted in 1944 by D. F. Ferguson (using a mechanical desk calculator). Shanks earned his living by owning a boarding school at Houghton-le-Spring, which left him enough time to spend on his hobby of calculating mathematical constants. His routine was as follows: he would calculate new digits all morning; and then he would spend all afternoon checking his morning's work. ... Read more

Product DescriptionThe BEST from American Canals Volume VIII features outstanding articles published in the quarterly newsletter of the American Canal Society. The book includes articles from 1995 through 1997 on topics such as the Panama Canal, journeys along the Erie Canal, opening of the National Canal Museum in Easton, PA, and the entire reprint of Alvin Harlow's "When Horses Pulled Boats." ... Read more